


The Sting

by thales1974



Category: Selfie (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-03-14 14:52:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3414815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thales1974/pseuds/thales1974
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Premise: Henry spent $16,000 on the off-chance that he would be invited to Sapperstein's ranch for a promotion.  How much effort would he put in to win Eliza's heart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_\- Eliza's not at home. She went to the park to meet the love of her life, Bryn said with a mischievous smile_  
_Henry could feel a giant knot in the pit of his stomach._

## Chapter 1

Valentine's Day was coming up and for the first time since her makeover, Eliza didn't have someone to play the horizontal mambo with. Not that she hadn't received any offers, of course. Ever since she broke up with Freddy for the second times in so many months, she had received daily txt from guys at the company wanting to hook up. A lot of guys, hot guys, hot sexy guys that she would have taken out for a test drive long time ago if she didn't have her eyes on a certain marketing exec with an unhealthy love for chicken salads. 

Her experience with Freddy had taught her that she wanted something more. Something the casual flings couldn't provide. Good for the body, less good for the soul. Which was hella frustrating, considering she now didn't have anyone to help her get release when that stupid marketing exec got her worked up during work hours. 

Not that she was complaining too much. They have grown closer, Henry and she. Not only did they have their regular lunches, but during the long work hours, they ended up catching late night dinners too. 

It was nice. Having someone appreciate you for not just your smoking hot bod, but also your opinion. Who genuinely wanted your input. They'd worked together so well on the "Butt Eyes" campaign, that Sapperstein (or Henry?) had asked her to work together on the Baby Rashes campaign. And then she had asked him to help with selling to Dr River, someone she had always failed to make headway with. 

Life was pleasant. Not great, considering there were times when they worked together and she wanted to jump his bone so bad it almost hurt. Not that she did. One exposure was enough. She wasn't going to put herself through that again. 

Still, even though Eliza had been pretty busy with the Dr River sale, she did notice that he had become more and more absent minded. It usually meant that he was thinking about a new project Sapperstein had assigned to him. Hopefully now that the River sale was finishing up, she could help Henry out, or at least spend more time with him. 


	2. Constant Constance

"Eliza, wait!", Henry called out as she stormed out of his office. He caught up to her before she reached her cubicle "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter!?!?", Henry could be so stupid sometimes. "I walked in on you two practically humping each other's brains out"

"Humping? Eliza, we were having lunch, with a proper distance between us."

"Oh, please Henry. You might not be good at reading women's intentions, but she was two seconds from being butt naked."

"What? Eliza, we're just having lunch!"

"Just lunch?", Eliza rolled her eyes, "Lunch was our special thing"

"Special? It's just lunch, I had lunch with other people before..."

"Not in your office, Henry!"

Eliza stormed off leaving Henry looking confused. 

\--- 

"I'm not being a jealous, I'm not", Eliza tried to explain to Charmonique, and indirectly to herself.

"Hmm, hmmm", the administrative assistant wasn't too keen to get involved into another one of should-have-been-lovebirds-if-they-just-get-to-it arguments

"I'm not. I'm just concerned, as a _friend_. What if this Constance woman is a psycho bitch?"

"And that's the only reason?"

"Of course, what else could it be?"

"You tell me. You could take Mr. Man's word for it? That's she's just there to help him with a project?"

"I checked with Larry end Freddy and neither have heard of her. If she's here in official capacity, wouldn't they know? Why would he go out of his way to hide her? Why would Henry lie to me?"

"Maybe he has his reasons?" 

Eliza mulled that over for a second. 

"He's probably afraid that I'm going go Julia on her. But I'm not. I'm not, really. You probably think I'm paranoid"

"Oh, you're not. My friend, Cherrie, met this guy and he insisted on being kept a secret to her friends. Turned out he was married, with a warrant. Cherrie ended up shooting him. But if she had told us, we could have warned her"

"Riight." 

Eliza had a lot to think about. Like how to best take the psycho bitch down without Henry realizing it was Eliza who was behind it. Again, didn't need to repeat of the Julia incident. But first, Eliza needed to find out more about her enemy. 

Apparently, the meetings had started six weeks ago, around the time she broke up with Freddie for the second time. Henry had gone out of his way to hide the meeting. The meetings had all been titled "PE" and they all coincided when she was out on sales meetings. 

"P.E., P.E. Psychedelic Experience? Penis Enhancements? Project Erection?" 

"Hi Eliza. I have a letter from HR to you", Mark from the mailroom was doing his rounds.  
"Thanks Mark. Just leave it on my desk, I'll take a look at it later", Eliza was on a mission, and no flirty flirty mail from her co-workers was going to stop her from helping Henry 

Constance Wong, 32. From San Francisco. Own's her business as a event planner. Aha, she loves hiking. Henry hates hiking. He probably didn't know that. 

But Henry got really upset last time she tried to save him from a boring midget.... 

She had to sleep on it before taking the bad news to him. 


	3. Dreams and Nightmares

Henry smelled so delicious. Spice and citrus and a hint of leather. Eliza had grown to love it. She loved being in his office #safeHaven, on his couch #loveNest, in his arms. She loved the way he tasted, the way he nibbled on her neck, the way he touched her just right. It felt good, being here, naked on top of him... 

"What the..." 

They both turned around and saw Eliza starring at them. And Eliza was starring back at the naked couple. Except it was Constance who was on top of Henry, with a stupid grin on her face. She stood up in all her naked glory with her perky breast and perfect hair and started walking towards Eliza. 

"We're not done working on the Project, Eliza", she said with a mocking laughter in her voice. "I think you should leave while I finish up with Henry." 

Eliza tried to respond, but her throat clamped up. She tried to run, but her body wouldn't respond. 

"Or you could stay and watch. Watch and copy, isn't that what you do? Poor little Eliza, always trying to fake herself through life by copying better people" 

"You're wondering who I am, aren't you? Haven't you figured out by now? I mean, I know you're slow, but...", she smirked before pulling off her face revealing Corynn underneath. 

Eliza was frozen. She couldn't run, she couldn't fight, she could just stand there and take it. 

"Do you really think someone like Henry could fall for a copy like you?", Corynn continued mockingly. "All your life you've been stolen other people's things. This office, this safe haven, isn't your's." Corynn waved with her hands and the office was replaced with a white nothingness. "And these clothes, they're not yours.", she said tearing Eliza's clothes off. "Now, that's more like it. This what you are: Nothing." Corynn said smiling. "Do you really think Henry could love a Nothing? That he could trust you? That he has any faith that you could change? That he has any faith in you?" 

"no" 

"What's that?", Corynn came closer. 

"I said NO, you bitch!" Eliza snapped back. "I'm not a nothing! Henry may not love me, but he has faith in me. I know it, I can feel it. And nothing a trifling chief bitch like you can say or do anything to change that" 

Eliza pushed Corynn back. "You're just a tiny person that needed to steal my life to feel big again." 

Eliza was towering over Corynn. "I'm finished with you", and then she pushed Corynn into the abyss that had opened behind them. 

She felt a calm washing over her, like a fresh summer rain, washing away all the bad. 

"Eliza" 

She was back in the office. She turned around and saw him there, in all his naked glory. He closed the distance between in one step, pushing her against the bookcase. She could feel his skin against her's, their beating in sync. She could feel him getting harder, pressing against her leg. She wanted him, all of him. She could feel him looking into her soul. His mouth moving closer to her mouth. She closed her eyes. 

"Project Eliza", she exclaimed, waking up with a jolt. She looked at her ceiling, trying hold on to the last part of the dream. 

"Dang it! Even in my dreams, I'm blocking it! #frustrated" 


	4. Chapter 4 -  New Year's Surprise

### New Year's Eve, 15 min before midnight

"What are you doing here?", Henry asked as she let a drunk looking Eliza into house. 

"What kinda question is that?", Eliza answered as she walked past him to the liquor cabinet and poured herself another drink. "Where else would your favorite redhead be when the clock is almost midnight on New Year's Eve?", she turned at stared at him while taking a sip of her drink. 

"Haha", he replied sarcastically. He was in the middle of Phillip Roth's The Human Stain, and really didn't want to be interrupted. Especially since he was trying to push the thought of what Freddy probably was doing to Eliza at that moment. Except, Freddy was doing anything to Elize, because Eliza was here in his study room. 

"1. You're clearly drunk", Henry walked up to her and took the glass from her. Pinning her against the cabinet, he poured her another drink, this time with water and lime, and gave it to her which she took a big gulp, "and 2. I thought you would be Freddy during the holidays" 

"1. I'm not, just a little tippsy and 2. We broke up, and 3. Just because I'm not dating anyone doesn't mean that I'm going to be lonely in 2015" 

"What?" 

"OMG, Henry, don't you know anything? If you fail to kiss someone on New Year's Eve, you are destined to spend the next 12 months alone. Don't you want to kiss me, Henry? Do you want me be single and alone next year?", Eliza starting pouting that cute pout that she knew would work on most men not named Henry. 

"Yes, no, what?!?", Henry tried to process what was just said. "I can't take advantage of you" 

"Oh my God, Henry, I'm not asking you to do the humpity dumpity" 

"Humpity Dumpity?" 

"I'm just asking for a small kiss on the mouth. From a friend. And you shouldn't be cursed to be alone this year either. And that's not just me saying, that's science" 

"Eliza... you can barely stand. Why don't you sit down on the couch", Henry helped Eliza over to couch while he steeled himself. 

He paced around the study, trying to gather his thought and feelings. 

"It's not that I find the prospect of locking lips with you on New Year's Eve an undesireable event, but I do believe cooler heads need to prevail. Seeing how you're alchohol content clearly being over the limit, I would not feel comfortable taking advantage of your current state." 

Henry looked over at the picture of him with the skating kids. _No Fear_

"I don't want you to misinterpret this hesitancy with a lack of desire for you. I do have... ", Henry looked out into space trying to find the right words, "certain feelings for your well-being, and would not want you to face this new year alone. So if you feel like this is something you need...", he looked over at a sleeping Eliza. 

Sighing to himself, he carried Eliza to his bed and carefully tucked her in. In the background, he could hear the countdown for New Year's from the TV. He thought for second, and gave Eliza a quick peck on the lips. "Happy New Year, Eliza", he whispered before turning off the light and closed the door behind him. 

### First working day after New Year's

Henry sat in his office, considering all his options. Small gesture, big gesture? Declare his undying... feelings? Presidential suite or small inn in the country side? Bouquet or single flowers? He needed help. 

"Constance, hey, it's Henry" 

"Henry! I haven't heard from you in a long while. How are you?" 

"Good. Listen, you're still an event planner, right?" 

"Best in the business, dear!" 

"Good, good. Listen I need help planning something special for a very special person" 

"OK, anything for my second favorite Higgs! Let me check my schedule, and we can talk about it. How does Thursday at 11 sound?" 

"Great" 

"Then we'll talk Thursday" 

"Give my regards to James" 

"Will do" 

Henry leaned back and looked out the window. So many variables and options to consider. He opened Microsoft Project, and started a new project, titling it "Project Eliza". Deadline: February 14, 2015. 

Fortune favours the prepared mind, and this time, he was going to be prepared. 


	5. Project Eliza

### 6 Weeks Before Valentine's Day

How can you tell if someone is (still?) interested in you? Especially when you are very bad at reading women's romantic intentions in general? Wooing someone you are interested in, but you don't know is one thing. But wooing someone, who for all intent and purposes, is a friend and you don't want hurt? Care had to be taken. Having Eliza going Gone Girl on him again was not something Henry... 

"They killed my followers, Henry!", Eliza blurted out as she swept into his office. 

"Who killed what know?", Henry tried to compose himself as he discreetly closed the project document he had been working on. 

"My instagram followers, Henry, #poff, #vanished. Do you know what this means?", Eliza sat down as she started pouting. 

"I'm sure you're going to..." 

"Fitbritt, that skank, is more popular than me, Henry! More popular!", Eliza repeated to make sure Henry picked how serious this was, "My life is worthless. They killed my babies, Henry!" 

"How did you get your followers in the first place?" 

"Party like it's 1999 (even though it's 2015), crash an embassy event, get my grind on with the BF" 

"Did not need to know that last detail" 

"Fancy dinners smashing, hotel trashing, sunset loving" 

"Got it", Henry tried to interject. 

"Point bees, Henry, without a BF, I don't have anyone go to dinner with, and without food, I can't get my numbers back up #thestruggle" 

"Can't you do something else? Like join a bookclub and instagram about that?" 

"Eh, remember Bryn threw me out of her bookclub 'cause I was too hot? Besides, I need something exciting to show how superexciting my life is.", Eliza started tweeting about the unfairness of life to her remaining followers. 

Looking at Eliza, Henry thought hard and fast. He opened a spreadsheet and pretended to read it, "You know, if you want something to do, you could stop by my place and I'll cook you something for you to tweet about." He tried to be as nonchalant as possible while waiting for her to answer. 

"You mean, like a lesson?", she finally answered 

"No, not a lesson.", he corrected her, "Dinner and movie with a friend. You pick the movie." 

Eliza smiled at him, and then got up to leave, "Girl gotta pick her clothes for the date, then" 

"It's not a date. Wear something casual and comfortable", Henry tried to tell her but she had already left. 

* * *

"First, get her to see me as more than a mentor, and then a friend, then something something more", Henry elaborated to Constance over lunch in his office. 

"Or, you could just tell her your intentions and ask her what she feels.", Constance smiled at him. She'd seen this behaviour from Henry before. 

"No, it's a solid plan. It will work" 

"Where is this mystery woman that got my second favourite Higgs all hot and bothered, anyway?" 

"She's out on a sales call. Had to make sure she wouldn't surprise us having lunch. Last time she went all stalkerish on the person I had lunch with. We're not repeating that again. Besides, it's not part of the plan for you to meet until two weeks after I've closed the deal." 

"Right...", Constance just shooked her head and smiled, "So, marching band, yay or nay?" 

### 5 Weeks before Valentine's Day

"OMG, H-Dog, how did you score these tickets? They've been sold out for weeks", Eliza was bouncing up and down in Henry's office. 

"I have my ways", Henry smiled, "Now, could you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to work?" 

Eliza looked at him until he got uncomfortable. "What?", he finally asked to break the tension. 

"You should totally go with me", Eliza exclaimed. 

"I don't know, Eliza. Katy Perry isn't really my thing." 

"I know, it's not Blues Travellers. I'll make you a deal, you come with me to this concert, and I'll join you on a boring trip to a boring museum. Pleeazzee", Eliza was about to pout, which would totally work, they both knew it. 

"Fine, but I'm not paying for the merchs!", Henry finally relented as he _casually_ put her hands on her back, "We're late to the staff meeting" 

* * *

"Considering all the time you're spending together, I'm surprised you haven't bumped uglies already, Henry", Constance smiled. 

"Please, this project has been months in development. You can't rush it" 

"Whatever you say, dear. So, a full spa treatment or just a couple's massage?" 

### 4 Weeks before Valentine's Day

"Joan hates me!", Eliza bursted into Henry office. 

"Joan doesn't hate you, and why do you think that?" 

"She gave me the River account! Everybody has failed the River account. It's the mythical beast, Henry. Nobody is able to sell to Dr. River. It's a conspiracy. They're setting me, Eliza Dooley, up for failure." 

"Nobody is setting you up for failure, Eliza", Henry tried to comfort her, "besides, I was the one who suggested you" 

"You? Why do you hate me?" 

"Hate? I don't hate you" 

"Then why...?" 

Henry walked around his desk and put Eliza's hands in his, "Because I think you can do it. Because I trust in you, I faith in you" 

Eliza smiled to herself. Henry had faith in her. She was going to win this account if it killed her. 

* * *

"I really don't understand your hesitation, Henry", Constance said absent-mindedly as she poured over the plans, "It's pretty clear to everybody except you that she's into you. And this is just from what you've told me." 

"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate. Sun Tzu - The Art of War", Henry replied, smiling. 

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized. Also Sun Tzu", Constance noted, "So, did you decide on the text for the skywriters yet?" 

### 2 weeks before Valentine's Day - Friday

"Henry, I did it!", Eliza ran into Henry's office, "I...", she stopped when she saw Constance having lunch with Henry on the couch. 

"What... who is this?", she asked carefully. 

Henry looked at Eliza, then at Constance and then back to Eliza, having lost his voiced. "I... Eliza, Constance", he looked back and forth between the women, with a horrific look on his face. 

It was Constance that finally broke the tension, "Hi, I'm Constance. You must be Eliza Dooley. Henry has told me so much about you.", she said with the biggest smile on her face. 

"He has? What...", Eliza looked back and forth between Henry and Constance, "I.. I think remember, I need to be somewhere." 

"Eliza, wait!", Henry yelled after her but she had already gone. 

"Henry, you really need to go after her. Don't worry about this. I think we got everything covered". 

Henry was out the door before she could finish. 

"Crazy kids! Henry really needs to learn to talk about his feelings", Constance shook her head as she collected the paperwork and left the Henry's office. Someone really needed to put Henry straight, she thought to herself, and Eliza seemed to be someone who could do it. 


	6. Endgame

### Monday - 13 days before Valentine's Day

"No, don't look...", Eliza screamed as she came running into Henry's office. 

Henry looked at her and then on his phone with a mixture of horror and something she couldn't put her finger on (but that she oh, so wanted to). They stared at Henry's phone and then each other, Henry with the same look on his face as he had back at the elevator-incident-that-shall-not-be-mentioned and Eliza with a slight glee. 

"What... why... how?", Henry finally stammered. 

"He, he", she tried with a forced laughter, "that wasn't really for you. Scott's honor", she said as she put up two fingers. 

"You mean, scout's honor", Henry replied as he finally composed himself and the image on his phone timed out and was deleted, "and what have I told you about sending naked snapchats?" 

"Chillax Henry", Eliza smiled at him, as she usually did when she tried to get away with something, "1) I didn't mean to send it to you, my dear mentor, and 2) we have already seen each other in the buff so what's the big deal?" 

"What's the big?!?", Henry looked at her with a face that made her wonder if they actually lived in the same decade, "what if you had accidently sent it to Larry and his wife had found it and then she would have left him and he had come to stay at my place again?". Henry looked visible shaken by the thought. 

"Come on, Henry. It didn't, so no harm done. And besides, FYI, it was meant for someone I had my eyes on for some time, and I thought it was important that he got his eyes on my 'offerings'", she looked down at her boobs and grinned. 

"Someone... who? No forget it, just don't do this during work hours", Henry said with a sigh since he knew the conversation wouldn't go anywhere productive. 

"Will do, sensei of mine", as she winked, put on her sun glasses, and walked out of his office. 

Henry could swear she deliberately did a very sexy walk, but then again, he never seen her do a sexy walk, so what did he know. He went back to perusing his books while trying to force the image of a very naked Eliza out of his mind. He had been dreading this morning ever since Eliza had caught him on the couch with Constance. Last time she had gone Gone Girl on him. He wasn't sure he was ready to another round of shenanigans from her, not now when his plan was about to be set in motion. Maybe he had lucked out, maybe she was telling the truth when she had said she was OK with what happened last Friday. And what did she mean she had had her eyes on someone? Who could it be? 

### Wednesday - 11 days before Valentine's Day

"Sir, Freddie's assistant just called. He has to cancel the lunch meeting. Should I still set up for work lunch?" 

"Thank you, Charlie", Henry replied as a finished the spreadsheet. Even if the meeting got cancelled, he liked to be prepared for the rescheduled meeting. 

"Rumours have it, it's one of his exes", Charlie answered with pride that he had gone the extra mile for that little information. 

"Say what?" 

"The reason for the cancellation. The booty call. Brenda told Charlene told Lizzy that Freddie is hooking up with someone old. Well, not old old, just old flame, and he always did like nooners when hooks up with someone at the office so..." 

"Yeah, don't need to hear that kind of gossip", Henry made the hand gesture to indicate that he wanted Charlie to shut up, "In any case, pick up the usual lunch for Eliza and I. Thank you." 

As much as Henry needed that meeting with Freddie, he rather spend his lunch hour with Eliza, he thought to himself. It's funny that almost six months earlier he would have dreaded having a lunch with someone like Eliza, and now it was the highlight of his day. And if everything worked out next week, and why not, with his excellent planning what could possibly go wrong, Eliza would finally see him in a new light. He smiled at the prospect as he got closer to Eliza's messy desk. 

"If you're looking for Eliza, she's not here", Betty, one of Eliza's coworker's said, as he reached Eliza's desk. "She said she had some kinda errand and ran out five minutes ago. Said she would be back after lunch." 

"Oh, thank you", Henry said as he walked back to his office. Both Freddie and Eliza out for lunch. She couldn't have... She didn't... She would have told him if they were... No, it had to be a coincident. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the dread that was creeping up in his mind... 

### Friday - 9 days before Valentine's Day

The plan was perfect. It was Henry's turn to host their weekly dinner/movie, which meant Eliza would be responsible for the cooking (which she started to get really adept at), and he would be responsible for the movie. And the movie would be perfect for the occasion: a 2 hour documentary about the great desert of the world followed by a 1/2 hour documentary about the making of the documentary. Eliza used to complain about him being so uptight and boring. With this documentary he would show that he was just like a desert, there was more below the surface than first believed. And once Eliza realized that, his next phase of the masterplan would be confess his feelings for her. Whatever they might be. If he wasn't above it, he would have patted himself on the back. Sure, the whole lunch thing on Wednesday had disturbed him somewhat, but he was confident that keeping to the plan would bring the success he always imagined. 

...  


"Wake up, Eliza, the movie is finished", Henry tried wake up Eliza even though he had to admit he quite liked it with her sleeping on on his lap. Impossible as it might be for him to imagine, she had fallen asleep sometime between the African Savannah and the great Gobi desert. Must have been the 2/3 bottle of quite expensive wine that she had finished. 

"Is it over already? I was about to get my freak on with this cute boy, and..." 

"Details, no need for details", Henry tried stopped her from putting ideas into his head. 

"Anyways, time to get home, I guess", Eliza said as she jumped up and tried to walk to the door, bumping into everything and almost spilling over the last drop of wine. 

"You're in a condition to drive home, Eliza. Let me make the guest room ready for you" 

"Guest room? Eliza Dooley doesn't sleep in someone guest room, unless they're family, and you're not family, are you Henry?", she looked at him with doopey eyes. 

"The guest room is perfectly...", he tried to explain. 

"But your master bed is so comfy and I need my beauty sleep, and you won't let me get home to my super-comfy bed, and how will I look to my followers in the morning if you let me sleep in your uncomfortable den and ..." 

"Fine, you can get the masterbed and I'll take the guestbed", Henry knew there wasn't any point in argue something that Eliza already made her mind about. 

"Thanks Henry!" as Eliza went for the bedroom, suprisingly steady. 

Henry sighed to himself, and started cleaning up the kitchen. 

He didn't get into bed until 1 in the morning, and then he was too excited to sleep right away. Especially with Eliza just a couple of feets away. Tossing and turning, Henry finally gave up and decided to take a long, cold shower, before he went to the kitchen to get something to drink. As he walked back to the guestroom, he heard a noise from the study. 

"Eliza?", Henry asked as he walked in the door. 

The surprised noise made Eliza spill her glass of milk all over herself. "Henry! Don't sneak up on my like that!", Eliza exclaimed. 

"Why... what are you doing naked on my desk?" 

Eliza stood up from his desk, and put a hand on her hips, daring him to get a full frontal view of her naked body as the spilled milk started to go down her between her breasts, over her stomach, towards her... Henry swallowed hard, while Eliza had a big grin on her face. 

"Prepping for tomorrows tweets, taking a selfie for my bae, marking my territory?", Eliza said with a sigh, as if the question was too stupid to ask. 

"Marking your...", Henry looked at her without quite comprehending what was happening, "Eliza, don't dogs usually mark their territory by peeing on things?" 

"Ew, you want me to pee on your desk?" 

"That's not what I meant, I mean... you really need to clean yourself up before you catch a cold or... something...", Henry eyes started wandering, and so did his mind. 

"oh, Henry, you're no fun", she said with a grin as she walked to bathroom. 

Henry shook his head in disbelief. He would never understand that woman. But he would win her over. He just had to keep to the **plan**. 

### Monday 6 days until Valentine's Day

The Friday had disturbed Henry more than he would admit. He could feel that he was about to lose control over the situation, like he did at the Sapperstein ranch, but unlike that time, there would be no Eliza to help him, guide him, making sure he would reach his goal. Because Eliza was his goals. So he did what he usually did: stick to the plan. Which meant walking to Eliza's table at 11 in the morning, when she probably would be there, and wait for the flower delivery man arriving with 6 long stemmed red roses, one for each month he had known her, and 6 days until Valentine's Day. Nobody could say that Henry wasn't romantic when he put his mind to it. 

At 5 minutes to 11, Henry started walking to Eliza's workdesk. He had looked forward to this. Weeks of planning was finally... 

He could smell it before he reached her desk. All kinds of flowers and teddy bears were piling up on Eliza's desk. There were barely room for the fashion magazines that Eliza liked to browse through between instatwitter checks. 

"What... what is this?", Henry finally stammered as he reached Eliza desk. 

"Good morning, Henry, how are you?", Eliza said with a smile as she looked up from the greeting cards. 

"I'm good, Eliza, and how are you?" 

"I'm great, I mean, look at all these gifts, Henry. People want me!" 

"Yes, sure. Eh, I didn't think you were seeing anyone right now" 

"I'm not, but just because a girl isn't seeing anymore doesn't mean she doesn't have admirers lining up, Henry. If you want someone, you can't sit on your ass and wait for the moment" 

At that moment, the delivery guy with Henry's flowers showed up. 

"And another delivery. I love Valentine's week!", Eliza exclaimed as she signed for the flowers. 

"Aren't you going to read this card?" 

"No need, Henry. It's just six roses. Not even a dusin. I mean, how cheap is that?", as she threw the card in the trash. 

"But, it might be from someone who fancy..." 

"Fancy, Henry? So old school. Nah, it was probably Miller from Accounting. He always wanted me when I was with Freddie. In any case, did you want anything?", she looked up at him with those eyes of her, like she could read him like an open book. 

"No, no, just wondering what you wanted for lunch" 

Henry walked away even more disturbed than he was that morning. He was losing control. If he had turned around, he might have seen the mischievous grin on Eliza's face as she fished up the card from the trashbin. 

* * *

On Tuesday, Eliza was chatting (flirting?) with Freddie when the delivery guy came with the five roses. Henry decided to stay way. 

On Wednesday, Eliza was shopping. Like serious shopping, like serious shopping for lingerie stuff which she had to show to Henry during their lunch. 

* * *

"So, like which one do you think will look good on me?", Eliza asked as she held up her new prizes. 

"Shouldn't you be saving money?", Henry tried to feign disinterest as he eyed the dresses Eliza had just bought. 

"Henry... don't be such a bore. Valentine's Day is only once a year, and I need to look good for my man!" 

"I thought you didn't have a man?" 

"Not yet, but I will. I mean all those flowers have to mean something, right?" 

"Right..." 

"In any case, this", she put the lingerie in front of her to show how it would look on her, "Turqouise Octavia Satin Chemise from Frederics of Hollywood. Like how it emphasises my boobs," she look down and raised them for emphasis, "and when my man hold me tight against him, the should strap tend to fall down on my shoulder and...", Eliza shook a little while she let her imagination take it further. 

Henry just shook his head and tried to focus on the salad while making sure he crossed his legs. 

"Eliza, I don't think the workplace is the appropriate place to..." 

"Don't be so uptight, Henry. Top Sales people can bend the rules a little bit. Besides, it's not like I'm wandering down the hallway in this. I'm just showing it to you", she smiled, "anyways, I also love how it shows off my butt. Then we have this one," she took out the other dress, "Black Luna Kimono from Agent Provocateur. I like how it feels on my skin, all soft and tingly. And then my man can pull on my belt like a present, which I totally am, and open me up and...", Eliza looked at Henry while she described her dress, and Henry just looked at her with open mouth imagining himself being that man. 

"I'm sorry Sir, Eliza", Charlie said as he entered the room, "but you wanted me to remind you about the Sapperstein meeting at 1:30" 

"Right-o, Charlie", Eliza said as she put her shopping bags away, "are you coming Henry?" 

"eh, you just go ahead, I just need to finish some stuff first", Henry said pretended to absentmindedly read through the papers that was on the coffee table. Papers that Eliza knew had nothing to do with the Sapperstein meeting. In truth, he couldn't very well walk around the office with the effect of Eliza's little show on display. 

Meditation, calm, Charlie trying to party... Henry tried to forced his thought away from the image of Eliza in different levels of undress. 

"Right", Eliza said with a laugh as she left the office. 

### Saturday - Valentine's Day

Henry hadn't had a good weekend. In fact, he hadn't had a good week. He could feel his body tensing up, his reality becoming unhinged. Even a 5 mile run hadn't cleared his head. And now, the plan had him showing up at Eliza door at 10 am on Saturday with the final rose. And she wasn't ready for him. Not according to the plan, that is. But maybe Constance was right, maybe if he just told her his feelings, or at least admit that she was right, back when she confronted him the first time, then it would be all OK. No, he had to follow that plan. It was the only thing that made sense when the world was thrown into chaos. 

He could feel the dread as he walked down the hallway to Eliza's apartment, took a deep breath, and knocked on her door. And waited. And then waited some more. Then another knock on the door. 

"Eliza's not at home", a voice chimed in behind him, "she said something about going to the park to meet the love of her life. At the spot that meant the most to her." 

He turned and looked and saw Brynn standing there with a mischievous smile on her face. 

"What? But... I...", Henry got all flustered. He could feel all his plans going down the drain. All the stuff he promised himself being for naught. 

"Which park? Nevermind, I think I know", he said as he ran from the apartment before Brynn could answer. He could lose again now that he was so close. He had to tell her what he felt before she jump into another relationship. 

30 min and a speeding ticket later, and he found Eliza on a picnic blanket taking a selfie. 

"Henry, you found me!", Eliza exclaimed with a smile as he approached. 

"The spot where you stood up to your high school bully, where else would you be?", he replied as he looked around for her date. 

"What are you looking for?" 

"Your date. Bryn said you were meeting someone here." 

"Yes, and he just arrived." 

"Really? Where?", he looked around confused 

"It's you, silly." 

"What? But...", Henry had picked this spot as their post-apartment-pickup-confessional date, knowing the significance the spot was to her. Apart from there were no violin trio or sky writing, and he had forgotten to pick up the white horse, but was almost like he had planned it, "How did you find out?", he finally said as he realized he had been had. 

"Well, after meeting Constance, I put two and two together plus I received the letter of intent, pre-signed by you, for a sexual relationship from HR", Eliza said with a naughty smile. 

"What? I specifically told Raj to wait until Monday before sending it to you" 

"Yes, but you also put a rush on it. Guess the poor guy got confused. Point bees, you worship me" 

"I do not worship..." 

"You want me, you need me", Eliza couldn't stop teasing him. 

"I- I deeply enjoy your company" 

"Just admit it, Henry, you can't live without me" 

"I lived for 40 years without you, of course I can...", Henry said with a twinge of deflection. He looked at her, and added, "I don't want to." 

And for the second time they had known each other, Eliza was speechless. 

"hashtag team..." 

Henry stopped her by moving into her personal space, and kissed her. Deeply, like he never kissed anyone else before. 

"...heliza", Eliza finished with a smile. 

Henry looked at it with a smile, "so, Constance, the flowers, violin trio" 

"Met, ordered on your credit card, cancelled" 

"Did you cancel everything?" 

"Not the spa and the dinner. I'm not crazy!" 

"Nah, just... Eliza Dooley!", Henry replied as he went in for another kiss. 

**The Beginning...**

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to finish this for Valentine's Day but got a really bad case of writer's block. So, instead of hanging on to the story, I decided to break it up into chapters, and publish it as I go about.


End file.
